Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal Vs Chelsea: 5 things we learned – Back from the brink

By Andrew Dowdeswell

Arsenal, Granit Xhaka, Hector Bellerin (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Arsenal, Granit Xhaka, Hector Bellerin (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 21: Tammy Abraham of Chelsea goes past Bernd Leno of Arsenal leading up to a foul by David Luiz during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC at Stamford Bridge on January 21, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 21: Tammy Abraham of Chelsea goes past Bernd Leno of Arsenal leading up to a foul by David Luiz during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC at Stamford Bridge on January 21, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) /

2. Shkodran Mustafi not to blame

Shkodran Mustafi made the crucial error of the match, under hitting a horrible backpass that left Bernd Leno stranded and David Luiz with no choice to haul down Tammy Abraham in the penalty area and face the consequences, a red card and a penalty kick, which Jorginho duly converted. However, while he is obviously the man responsible for this specific moment of madness, Mustafi is not to blame for the impact it had.

The blame rests on those building the squad. It has been quite evident that Mustafi simply is not good enough to play for a top-six Premier League team for some time. These type of high-profile errors are nothing new. He has committed them with painful frequency for many years. And yet, Arsenal have persisted with him as a key centre-back in their squad.

There are lots of reasons for this, from Arsene Wenger’s blind faith to the club’s arrogance in their valuation of the player meaning they would accept nothing but the deplorable £35 million they paid to sign him, but ultimately the result is quite clear: Mustafi remains in the team despite not nearly being good enough. And this result is costing Arsenal time and time again.